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Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa
Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma,
Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare
Hare

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank
you very much for your coming
here and participating in this
great movement known as Hare
Kṛṣṇa saṅkīrtana movement. This
saṅkīrtana movement was
started five hundred years ago by
Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in
India, in the state West Bengal,
in the district of Nadia. His
mission was that this Hare Kṛṣṇa
movement, or God
consciousness, should be spread
all over the world. As many
towns and villages as there are
on the surface of the globe, this
Hare Kṛṣṇa movement would be
spread all over. His prediction is
now being carried out by some of
the devotees. And you may kindly
take advantage of this
movement.

The purpose of this movement is
to cleanse the heart. Ceto-
darpaṇa-mārjanaṁ bhava-mahā-
dāvāgni-nirvāpanam [Cc. Antya
20.12]. We have created so many
problems in our life simply on the
platform of misunderstanding.
Therefore this movement is
meant for cleansing the
misunderstanding of the heart.
Ceto-darpaṇa-mārjanam. What is
that misunderstanding? The
misunderstanding is that we are
accepting this material body as
the self. We are all living entity,
spirit soul, encaged in this
material body. We are
transmigrating from one body to
another. There are 8,400,000
species of life, and this human
form of life is the greatest
opportunity for self-realization.
Self-realization means to know
that “I am not this body. I am
spirit soul. I am part and parcel
of God.” You have… Most of you
must have read Bhagavad-gītā.
In the Fifteenth Chapter it is said
that the living entities are part
and parcel of God. God is by
nature joyful. In the Vedānta-
sūtra it is said about the Supreme
Absolute Truth, as ānandamayo
’bhyāsāt, by nature joyful.
Therefore, as we are part and
parcel of God, our aim of life is
joy. We are searching after that
joyfulness within this material
world, but that is not possible.
Just like a fish, if it is taken from
the water and put on the land, in
any condition the fish will never
feel joyfulness. Similarly, we are
spirit souls. Somehow or other,
we have come in contact with
this material world. Therefore in
this material world we cannot
have joyfulness. Ānandamayo
’bhyāsāt. This material world is
not befitting our spiritual self.
Spiritual self requires spiritual joy.
That is beyond these material
senses. Therefore this Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement is
meant for clearing or cleansing or
purifying the senses. As soon as
we purify our senses, then
actually we can enjoy our
spiritual sense enjoyment.

In the material covering, the
senses are not properly being
used. The enjoyment which you
are now having, it is simply a
perverted reflection of our
spiritual self. So this Kṛṣṇa
consciousness movement is
meant for purifying our senses.
In the Vedic literatures it is said,
sarvopādhi-vinirmuktaṁ tat-
paratvena nirmalam [Cc. Madhya
19.170]. When we become free
from the designation, at that
time we become spiritually
purified. At the present moment,
on account of our ignorance, or
in ignorance of our self-
realization, we are thinking in
relationship with this body. I am
born in India, so I am thinking, “I
am Indian.” You are born in
England; therefore you are
thinking Englishmen. Or other is
thinking some other thing. But
actually, we are neither Indian,
nor Englishmen, nor Japanese, or
nor German. We are spirit soul,
part and parcel of God. Therefore
that is self-realization. Unless we
realize our self, all activities that
we are enacting, this is meant for
our defeat.

Therefore, practically we see that
in spite of advancement of
education, in spite of economic
development, in spite of so many
philosophical speculations, we are
in the same problematic
atmosphere. That is the defect of
the present civilization, because
they do not know what we are.
We are spirit soul. So we must
realize. That is… If we want to
realize, everything explained in
the Vedic literature, which is
summarized in the Vedānta-sūtra
and later on in the Śrīmad-
Bhāgavatam. And five thousand
years, the Lord Himself, Lord
Kṛṣṇa, spoke the philosophy or
the knowledge in the Bhagavad-
gītā. We are publishing all these
literatures translated into English.
If you want to read them, if you
want to understand this scientific,
spiritual movement through your
scientific knowledge,
philosophical speculation, we
have got dozens of books. You
can read them and you can
understand them. Otherwise, it is
very simple method. You can
simply chant this Hare Kṛṣṇa
mahā-mantra. It is only sixteen
words:

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa
Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma,
Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare
Hare

So there is no expenditure. If you
chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, there
is no loss on your part, neither
we are charging anything. We
are distributing this mahā-mantra
free of charges, and anyone can
chant. There is no difficulty. We
are spreading this movement all
over the world. Not only in your
country—whole of America,
whole of Canada, Japan,
Australia, New Zealand.
Everywhere. We have got one
hundred branches all over the
world. And there is no difficulty.
Even in Africa, the Africans are
also chanting this Hare Kṛṣṇa
mantra.

So our only request is that in
whatever condition you may be,
it doesn’t matter, please try to
chant these sixteen words if it is
possible, whenever you have got
time. You have got enough time.
You can chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra
when you are walking on the
street, when you are traveling in
the bus, or when you are sitting
alone. There is no loss, but the
gain is very great. Therefore our
only request is that you take this
mahā-mantra,

Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa
Kṛṣṇa, Hare Hare Hare Rāma,
Hare Rāma, Rāma Rāma, Hare
Hare

And we shall periodically remind
you by such functions as we are
holding today, the Ratha-yātrā
festival. This Ratha-yātrā festival
is very old. At least for 5,000
years. Lord Kṛṣṇa along with His
elder brother Balabhadra, or
Balarāma, and His sister
Subhadrā came in a chariot from
Dvārakā to Kurukṣetra. We are
commemorating this arrival of
Lord Kṛṣṇa with His family on this
chariot. This function is held in
Jagannātha Purī. Mostly you
know. In India it is a great
festival. And we are introducing
this festival in the Western
countries along with Hare Kṛṣṇa
movement because the original
progenitor of this Hare Kṛṣṇa
movement, namely Lord
Caitanya, He took very much
active part in this Ratha-yātrā
festival. So following His
footsteps, we are also introducing
this Ratha-yātrā festival in the
Western countries.
Simultaneously as it is being
observed in London, it is being
held in San Francisco, Buffalo,
and…

DEVOTEES: MELBOURNE,
TOKYO.

PRABHUPĀDA: Melbourne,
Tokyo, and many other places.
And India also, in Calcutta also.
So this festival, taking part in
these festivals means a step
forward for our self-realization.
Rathe ca vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā punar
janma na vidyate. Simply by
seeing the Lord on the chariot,
one makes advancement for
stopping the repetition of birth
and death.

So I am very glad that you have
taken so much trouble to come
here. Now will you chant Hare
Kṛṣṇa mantra along with the
devotees and take part in
honoring the prasādam? The
prasādam is also one of the
programs. Our Hare Kṛṣṇa
movement is standing on three
principal things: chanting,
dancing, and eating prasādam. It
is not very difficult. It is very
enjoyable to chant, dance, and
take prasādam. And if you like,
you can hear a little philosophy of
this movement. Or even if you do
not understand the philosophy,
even you do not read the books,
simply if you take part in these
three things, chanting, dancing,
and taking part in eating the
prasādam, your life will gradually
progress in spiritual advancement
of life. And if you continue this,
then some day will come, even in
this life it may come, that you will
understand what is Kṛṣṇa. And as
soon as you understand Kṛṣṇa,
then after leaving this body you
go back to home, back to
Godhead, directly (?). This is
stated in the Bhagavad-gītā.
Those who have read Bhagavad-
gītā… Lord Kṛṣṇa says,

janma karma me divyaṁ yo
jānāti tattvataḥ tyaktvā dehaṁ
punar janma naiti mām eti
kaunteya [Bg. 4.9]

Simply by understanding Kṛṣṇa,
Kṛṣṇa’s appearance, Kṛṣṇa’s
disappearance, Kṛṣṇa’s activities.
This Rathayātrā is one of the
activities of Kṛṣṇa. Therefore to
take part in the Rathayātrā
festival means to associate with
Kṛṣṇa directly. So in this way, if
we associate with Kṛṣṇa’s name,
Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, Kṛṣṇa’s
qualities, Kṛṣṇa’s form, then,
gradually, we transcend this
material existence. Janma karma
me divyaṁ yo jānāti tattvataḥ. If
we simply try to understand
about Kṛṣṇa’s movement, then
the result is, Kṛṣṇa says, tyaktvā
dehaṁ: we have to give up this
body. But if we give up this body
after being elevated into Kṛṣṇa
consciousness, then Kṛṣṇa says,
tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti
[Bg. 4.9] Then, after giving up
this body, you haven’t got to
accept another material body.
Tyaktvā dehaṁ punar janma naiti
[Bg. 4.9]. Then where shall I go?
Kṛṣṇa says, mām eti: “He comes
to Me.”

There is planet beyond this
material sky. There is another
sky. That is also stated in the
Bhagavad-gītā. Paras tasmāt tu
bhavo ’nyo ’vyakto ’vyaktāt
sanātanaḥ [Bg. 8.20]. There is
another sky, which is eternal.
This sky is temporary. Just like
your body, my body, or anything
in this material world, they are
temporary. They have got a date
of birth, and they grow, they
stay, they produce some by-
products, then dwindle, and then
vanishes. That is material nature.
But there is another nature,
which is called spiritual nature.
Even when everything is
annihilated, that nature stands.
So that spiritual nature, or
spiritual sky, is described in the
Vedic literature, in the Upaniṣads,
that there is no need of sunshine,
there is no need of moonshine,
there is no need of electricity.
That is another sky. So our only
business is to transfer ourself
from this sky to that sky, that
illuminating sky. That is the Vedic
injunction. Tamasi mā jyotir
gamaya: “Don’t remain in this
darkness, in this world of
darkness. Come to the world of
light.” So this movement is very
important movement. We are
trying to educate people how to
transfer one from this world of
darkness to the world of light,
which is called Goloka Vṛndāvana.
So I am very much thankful to
you that you have given me your
time. So we have got our books;
our devotees are preaching. Take
advantage of this opportunity
and make your life successful.

Thank you very much.

Ladies and gentlemen, I thank
you very much for your kindly
participating in this festival,
Ratha-yātrā festival. This festival
is coming down since five
thousand years when Lord Kṛṣṇa,
along with His elder brother
Balarāma and His younger sister
Subhadrā, all together in a
chariot came from Dvārakā to
Kurukṣetra. Kurukṣetra is still
existing, and the Dvārakā, the
city, is also still existing. So
according to Vedic culture, when
there is eclipse, lunar eclipse,
people take bath in sacred rivers.
So especially they go to
Kurukṣetra, a pilgrimage. So
Kṛṣṇa along with His family
members, brother and sister,
came to Kurukṣetra, and
receiving this news, the gopīs
and inhabitants of Vṛndāvana,
where Lord Kṛṣṇa lived in His
childhood, they came to see Him.
So amongst the gopīs, Śrīmatī
Rādhārāṇī was the chief. And
when she saw Kṛṣṇa in
Kurukṣetra in all opulence, She
said, “My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are
also here; I am also here. But We
are missing Vṛndāvana. So I wish
that You come along with Me
again in Vṛndāvana and We enjoy
in the forest of Vṛndāvana.”

These feelings of separation was
preached by Lord Caitanya. So
this Ratha-yātrā festival is still
observed in Jagannath Purī in
India. And five hundred years
ago Lord Caitanya participated in
this festival, and He was in the
mode of separation as if
Rādhārāṇī was taking back Kṛṣṇa
to Vṛndāvana. So this Ratha-
yātrā festival is a feeling festival
for the Vaiṣṇavas. Lord Caitanya
taught us how to feel separation
of God. Lord Caitanya never
taught us that He had seen God,
but He felt the separation of God
very severely. Similarly, His next
disciples, the Sad-Gosvāmīs, they
also prosecuted their devotional
service by separational feelings.

he rādhe vraja-devīke ca lalite he
nanda-suno kutaḥ śrī-
govardhana-kalpa-pādapa-tale
kālindī-vane kutaḥ ghoṣantāv iti
sarvato vraja-pure khedair mahā-
vihvalau vande rūpa-sanātanau
raghu-yugau śrī-jīva-gopālakau

So this Ratha-yātrā festival is
very nice, feelings festival for the
Vaiṣṇava. And anyone who is
participating in this festival, he’ll
gradually develop his dormant
love for Kṛṣṇa. Thank you very
much for your kindness.

DEVOTEES: All glories to Śrīla
Prabhupāda! Jaya!